Chapter 251: System Lockdown: Protection Mode Activated

Zhao Jianguo's hand was still resting on the edge of the display platform, the tremor in his palm never ceasing. He lowered his head to glance at the Triplets; the three children had quieted, but their eyes kept drifting toward the blue light.

He was about to speak when a burst of Footsteps came from afar.

Metal boots struck the cement floor with a heavy clank. A group approached, led by a man in a dark‑gray uniform, silver stripes on his shoulders, black headphones on his ears. He stopped in front of the display platform, pulled a metal badge from his chest and held it up to his eyes.

"Comrade Zhao Jianguo," the man said evenly. "I am the Special Forces Captain of the Cross‑Temporal Management Unit. According to Article Seven of the Cross‑Temporal Management Regulations, we are now taking action against the abnormal Energy Fluctuation detected in your jurisdiction. The Triplets must be isolated immediately, and the equipment sealed on site."

Zhao Jianguo did not move.

He slowly turned the lollipop in his mouth, chewed twice, and smiled, "Sir, you came all this way—shall we start with a candy?"

As he spoke, he fished a rainbow‑colored candy from his trouser pocket, its wrapper glittering, and handed it over.

The Special Forces Captain frowned, "I don't need—"

He was cut off when a Team Member beside him reached out to block; the moment his fingertip touched the candy wrapper, the device at his waist emitted a "beep." The Screen flickered a few times, spitting out erratic numbers. Another Team Member's headset crackled; he quickly removed it, but his ear flushed red.

The Team Leader turned his head to glance at his subordinates, then at Zhao Jianguo, "You're obstructing law enforcement."

"How dare I," Zhao Jianguo slipped the candy back into his pocket, "It's just an ordinary candy my daughter made. She says it helps people relax; who knows who touches it."

After speaking, he raised his hand to pat Zhao Xing's head, "Don't be afraid, Dad's here."

At that moment, Su Qing stepped forward from behind, scooping the three children into her arms and stepping back half a step. Her back pressed against the display platform's frame, one hand shielding the children, her eyes fixed on the approaching squad.

The Special Forces Captain gave her a glance, his tone unchanged, "We're not here to cause trouble. However, the regulations state that once a cross‑temporal resonance signal is detected, the relevant individuals must be controlled. The Triplets' internal bio‑fields are highly coupled with future equipment, classifying them as a Level‑One risk source. Please cooperate."

"Risk source?" Zhao Jianguo laughed, "They're children, not machine parts."

"The regulations say so."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then we'll have to enforce it forcibly."

The air tightened instantly.

Zhao Jianguo remained silent, slipped his hand back into his pocket, and his fingertip lightly brushed the Terminal switch. He whispered a sentence in his mind.

The next second, a System Prompt popped up: 【Protection Mode Activated, abnormal Energy Fluctuation will be eliminated within three minutes】

He exhaled in relief.

As long as three minutes pass, the energy will stabilize on its own. Then the equipment will enter automatic standby, all signals will cease, and the other side will have no reason to stay.

He looked up at the sky; the sun had not yet set, its light bathing the display platform, the blue light flickering like breathing.

"Sir," he said slowly, "Do you know why my daughter made this kind of candy?"

No one answered.

"She says people today are too tense; a single misstep leads to violence. Actually, if everyone sits down, eats a candy, chats a bit, the problem isn't that big."

The Special Forces Captain stared at him, "You're buying time."

"Is that so?" Zhao Jianguo blinked, "I think I'm being reasonable."

As soon as his words left his mouth, the blue light at the center of the platform suddenly changed its rhythm. The previously chaotic flickering became orderly, radiating outward in concentric circles like ripples. When the light ring passed over the Triplets, their bodies swayed slightly, but they neither cried nor fussed.

Su Qing cradled them, squatted, and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Mom's here."

The Special Forces Captain lifted his wrist, glanced at his watch face, and frowned, "The energy field is reconfiguring? That's impossible… without external input, how does it sustain itself?"

"You're meddling too much," Zhao Jianguo leaned against the edge of the platform, "It does whatever it wants, and it hasn't harmed anyone."

"But it's linked to the world twenty years from now!" the Team Leader's voice rose, "We don't know if there's monitoring over there, whether current intel will leak! If history is altered, no one can bear the consequences!"

"Even so, you can't take the children away." Su Qing lifted her head, speaking for the first time, "They are my sons, not test subjects."

"Comrade Su, I understand your feelings. But we act for everyone's safety."

"Safety?" Zhao Jianguo laughed, "You storm in with a bunch of iron boxes, scare the children to tears, and call that safety? If anything goes wrong, they'll be the first to suffer."

As he spoke, he stepped half a pace forward, positioning himself directly in front of Su Qing and the children.

"How about this," he said, pulling out the lollipop and biting off half, "I won't stop you from doing your job. But you have to wait three minutes."

"Why three minutes?"

"Because after three minutes the system will automatically resolve this fluctuation. Then you'll see the equipment shut down, the light gone, everything back to normal. You can take a photo, write a report, go back and file it—how convenient."

"I don't have that Permission…"

"Then ask above." Zhao Jianguo pointed to the communicator on his ear, "Make a call, get clarification before acting. Besides, nothing's exploding right now, right?"

The Team Leader was silent for a few seconds, then raised his hand and pressed the earpiece.

"Reporting to Command Center: the energy field in the target area is exhibiting self‑regulating behavior, requesting instructions on whether to continue the isolation procedure…"

He listened to the reply, his complexion growing increasingly grim.

Zhao Jianguo watched him, still chewing the candy.

After a dozen seconds, the Team Leader lowered his hand, stared at Zhao Jianguo, "Superiors have ordered a five‑minute observation. If the fluctuation persists after five minutes, enforce mandatory measures immediately."

"Fine." Zhao Jianguo nodded, "Five minutes is five minutes."

He turned and walked to Su Qing's side, squatted and whispered, "It's okay, just wait a bit longer."

Su Qing nodded, her hand still gently patting the children's backs.

The blue light on the platform grew steadier, its pulsation frequency perfectly uniform. The Triplets huddled together, their eyelids heavy as if sleepy.

Zhao Jianguo looked up at the sky.

The sun slipped a little lower, its rays striking the "Technological Self‑Reliance" plaque, reflecting a golden edge.

He suddenly recalled the morning ceremony. The Special Forces had come to announce the lifting of surveillance; he had shaken hands with the Team Leader, and everyone laughed. He had thought it was over, only for another wave to arrive a few hours later.

It was truly stepping out of the wolf's den only to walk into the tiger's mouth.

He smiled, swallowing the last bite of candy.

"Dad." Zhao Xing whispered.

"Hmm?"

"That building… is still there."

Zhao Jianguo followed his gaze.

In the depths of the blue light, the outlines of tall buildings could be vaguely seen; tracked vehicles glided in the air, pedestrians walked on the streets. The image was a bit clearer than before.

He didn't speak, just placed his hand on the edge of the display, feeling that vibration.

Still there, but weaker.

Two minutes thirty seconds.

Almost there.

The Special Forces Captain stood in place, hands hanging at his sides, eyes fixed on the meter. The people behind him also stood still, no one speaking.

The air was so still you could hear the wind blowing leaves.

Suddenly, Zhao Chen raised his head and whispered, "I'm drawing."

Zhao Jianguo blinked: "Drawing what?"

"A circuit diagram." She pointed at the ground, "There."

Zhao Jianguo lowered his head.

On the concrete ground, several shallow scratches had appeared at some point. The crooked lines connected together, resembling a simple module.

His heart skipped a beat.

He recognized this diagram.

It was a low-power crystal design only made public in 2000, its principle ahead of its time, still not widespread today.

But how old is Zhao Chen?

How could she draw this?

He crouched down and examined those lines closely.

Exactly, that's the diagram. Moreover, the connections are completely correct, with not a single mistake.

"Where did you learn that?" he asked.

Zhao Chen shook his head: "I don't know. I just felt… this was the right way to connect."

Zhao Jianguo's heart raced.

He turned his head to look at the display.

The blue light flickered slightly.

The characters "2025" were still there, but the color had faded a bit.

The three digits "1986" floated below, as if just engraved.

He suddenly understood.

This is not a monitor.

Nor is it a time-travel device.

This is a response.

They are receiving some kind of signal, and this signal comes from a point in the future.

The diagram Zhao Chen drew is knowledge from that world.

The building Zhao Xing saw is the place they once lived.

And the three-minute countdown is the system helping them shield against external interference.

He stood up and looked toward the Special Forces Captain.

"Captain." He said, "You can continue waiting."

The Team Leader looked at him: "What do you mean?"

"It means that what comes next might exceed your regulations."

Having said that, he lowered his head to look at the ground.

Zhao Chen's hand moved again.

She added a small bent segment to the existing lines.

Like a door, like a switch, like some kind of activation device.

The marks on the concrete ground grew deeper.